**spoiler alert** 3 1/2 really. Finn and her best friend Chloe decide to fake Chloe's disappearance to get media attention and something interesting t**spoiler alert** 3 1/2 really. Finn and her best friend Chloe decide to fake Chloe's disappearance to get media attention and something interesting to write in their college application essays. The writing wasn't stellar (there were times I read a sentence a few times to get the meaning) but it was suspenseful and a quick read. I would have preferred it if the story was written in past tense using flashbacks than in present tense and ending before we see the lie's full aftermath. The real story seems to be what happens after Finn tells the truth, and yet it ends right at that most interesting moment. Finn appearing on that missing person's show and telling the truth would have been a great start to the book, and the story of Chloe's disappearance could have unfolded in past tense while the consequences of that event unfolded in the present. Do over, please.

Mau is the only survivor on an island after a Tsunami wipes out all of the people in his village. Daphne is shipwrecked on the island by the wave, andMau is the only survivor on an island after a Tsunami wipes out all of the people in his village. Daphne is shipwrecked on the island by the wave, and the two meet and struggle to communicate as more survivors travel to the island. Science, religion, and society are the larger themes here, but what makes this story so great is the character's struggle to understand each other and the reason for the disaster....more

**spoiler alert** I didn't finish "the dead and the gone" because I wasn't that into it, and while I did get through this one and it kept my interest,**spoiler alert** I didn't finish "the dead and the gone" because I wasn't that into it, and while I did get through this one and it kept my interest, it lacked the depth and feeling "life as we knew it" had and the ending was really creepy.

SPOILER

Doesn't it seem like Miranda killed Julie just so she could be with Alex? She didn't even give it much time, and it didn't really seem like the girl was in all that much pain, considering she couldn't feel anything. The only way that ending could have been satisfying would have been if there was some kind of resolution between Miranda and Alex, but instead all we get is her creepy dialogue about why she had to do it and how she can be with Alex and head off into the future. To me it seemed more like this is the start of the downfall of humanity rather than a glimpse of a merciful future....more

Fire is the only remaining human monster in the Dells, which means she was born with unnatural beauty and telepathy she can use to control other peoplFire is the only remaining human monster in the Dells, which means she was born with unnatural beauty and telepathy she can use to control other people. She fears her power because her father used it to control and abuse others, and the book is mainly her struggle to accept herself and her gift. This book includes just enough backstory on King Leck to connect it to the people and places of "Graceling", but it definitely stands just fine on its own. YA, 9th and up.

4/4/13Listened to it on audio the first time and read it the second time. Still love it just as much and even more than "Graceling". I hope there's another on the way....more

I expected this to be another sequel that should have been left unwritten (see: "The Dead and the Gone") but I did enjoy The Last Days. Westerfeld hasI expected this to be another sequel that should have been left unwritten (see: "The Dead and the Gone") but I did enjoy The Last Days. Westerfeld has a way of writing that keeps me turning pages even when the story is not all that deep. The POV swaps between five band members and things progress quickly, so getting really attached to anyone was tough. I felt like I was reading a summary of what happened rather than an actual story at some points. But I liked that the focus was on music and the disease (and the relationship between them) and not really about the end of the world like the title implies. I say The Last Days is really is more of a companion novel (a smaller, less in-depth sidekick) than a sequel, though we do see a brief cameo from the main characters from Peeps....more

Allie and Nick never met in life, but death was another thing entirely. After a horrible car accident Nick and Allie collide on their way to the lightAllie and Nick never met in life, but death was another thing entirely. After a horrible car accident Nick and Allie collide on their way to the light at the end of the tunnel and end up in Everlost, a world somewhere between life and death where the living are like shadows and the souls of lost children wander for eternity. Mary Hightower is the self-proclaimed expert on Everlost, writing books for new souls on how to survive in their new world. But Allie suspects Mary knows more about Everlost than she admits, and is determined to discover the truth about her new surroundings for herself, even though it may put Nick and their new friend Lief in danger....more

Don't ask me why I read this book. I didn't really like "Sent." I liked this one more than #2, but that's really no excuse as to why I picked it up inDon't ask me why I read this book. I didn't really like "Sent." I liked this one more than #2, but that's really no excuse as to why I picked it up in the first place. I didn't like "Sent" because the science fiction seemed all off and it suddenly went historical fiction (though kudos for tricking all those kids into reading about history), and that's still true in "Sabotaged." What's also true in this one, only seemed even worse, is that the kids take forever to figure things out. I know they're kids, but COME ON. "I knew there was something I was missing, but I just couldn't figure out what it was" is a recurring sentiment for all of the characters, even the adults. It's very frustrating. I just want to know what's going on, I want someone, a narrator, a smart character, SOMEONE, to tell me what is going on. I'm not talking about spoiling the plot, or giving away the ending, or not having any suspense. But the suspense here feels contrived rather than genuine. The author creates it by withholding information with the lame excuse that the character doesn't remember or understand something that he clearly should remember and understand. "Didn't JB say something about this? I just don't remember." I hope the next one is good, because obviously I'm hooked on this series despite finding it flawed. And it even made me pick up a non-fiction book on Virginia Dare......more

Val was a perfect imperfect heroine. I was disgusted and disappointed by her constantly but kept rooting for her anyway. The audio was OK but the readVal was a perfect imperfect heroine. I was disgusted and disappointed by her constantly but kept rooting for her anyway. The audio was OK but the reader made all the characters sound 11. Hearing someone who sounds like they are 11 use that much profanity is disturbing....more